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MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2003

The National Park Service will hold three public meetings July 8-10 to discuss a proposed land swap with Eastern Band of Cherokees of North Carolina.

The tribe wants to obtain 168 acres within Great Smoky Mountains National Park to build a school for Cherokee kids. The tribe is offering 212 acres elsewhere.

Conservationists oppose the swap, which is being advanced by the park service. They also oppose a bill, introduced by Rep. Charles Taylor (R-N.C.), that would bypass the NPS and make the transfer into law.

Get the Story:
Activists say park land swap needs more study (The Knoxville News Sentinel 6/30)
CHEROKEE LAND SWAP (The Knoxville News Sentinel 6/30)

Relevant Documents:
Environmental Impact Statement: Eastern Cherokee Land Exchange (NPS June 2003) | Written Witness Testimony (June 18, 2003)

Get the Bill:Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Land Exchange Act of 2002 (H.R.1409)

Relevant Links:
Cherokee Land Exchange - http://www.npslandexchange.com
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians - http://www.cherokee-nc.com
Great Smoky Mountains National Park - http://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm
National Parks Conservation Association - http://www.eparks.org

Related Stories:
NPS doesn't oppose Eastern Cherokee land swap (6/19)
House committee to consider tribal bills (6/18)
Tribal school project on 'endangered' parks list (01/15)
Indian man resigning from Park Service (12/10)
NPS manager to quit over Cherokee swap (10/04)
Yellowstone bison death toll mounts (5/23)
Group cites tribal transfer as danger to park (3/26)
Cherokee tribe urges land swap (2/13)